The present invention relates to a combination of a magnetic card and a printing apparatus for printing characters or the like representing magnetic information, on a surface of the magnetic card, the magnetic card being, for example, a prepaid card in which a used date, a used amount of money, the balance or remainder and the like are recorded as the magnetic information.
A so-called prepaid card or the like has conventionally been known in which punching bores are formed through the magnetic card at a location adjacent to beforehand printed numbers or numerals indicating the remaining amount of money or the like, in accordance with the used condition of the magnetic card, to indicate the balance or the like of the magnetic card. This, however, can merely grasp a summary of the balance and the like, but the accurate remaining amount of money and the like cannot be known.
For the reason described above, it is difficult to know time to purchase or buy a new magnetic card, and it is known to be unable to purchase goods or the like because the balance is small, for the first time when the magnetic card is used.
A system is also known in which magnetic information such as the balance and the like recorded on the magnetic card is printed on the surface of the magnetic card.
This system is arranged as follows. That is, magnetic information such as a used date, a used amount of money, the balance or remainder and the like recorded on the magnetic card, for example, on a magnetic recording surface of a prepaid card having a heat sensitive recording layer is read by a magnetic head. The magnetic information is transduced into a character pattern. A heat sensitive head is driven and controlled on the basis of the character pattern, to color heat-sensitive recording layer sections on the surface of the magnetic card, thereby indicating or displaying the character pattern on the surface of the magnetic card.
Thus, a user of the magnetic card views the character pattern printed on the surface of the magnetic card so that it is possible to easily obtain information such as a used date, a used amount of money, the balance or remainder and the like which are magnetic-recorded on the magnetic card.
In the printing system of the magnetic card, however, since the printing system is a heat sensitive system, the following problems and the like arise. That is, the printing speed is low. Further, since, on the side of the magnetic card, the heat sensitive recording layer is arranged on the surface of the magnetic card, coloring of the heat sensitive recording layer, and fading or discoloring of the printing per se are relatively fast.
Further, the following problems also arise. That is, since, on the side of the printing apparatus, the service life of the heat sensitive head or the like is relatively short, it is necessary to frequently replace parts or components. Thus, the maintenance cost relatively increases.